McDonald's Workers Allege Unsafe Conditions

(RTTNews) - McDonald's Corp.'s (MCD) workers have alleged unsafe and unhealthy working conditions, filing 28 health and safety complaints against the fast-food giant in 19 cities in the U.S.

Among other hardships, workers claim to have suffered severe burns on the job, and some workers allege they were told to use mustard or mayonaise to treat their injuries.

The series of complaints by a union-backed group were filed against 19 McDonald's franchisees and nine McDonald's-owned stores.

McDonald's said in a statement that the company and its franchisees are committed to providing safe working conditions, and it will review the allegations.

The complaints were filed with the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration or OSHA, by Fast Food Forward, a group backed by the Service Employees International Union or SEIU.

The complaints against McDonald's were announced Monday during a telephone news conference by Fast Food Forward. The have been submitted since March 2.

The complaints allege that workers felt pressure to work faster, contributing to safety problems, and that stores lack protective equipment and safety training, and that first aid kits often lack basic items such as burn cream.

Fast Food Forward is an SEIU-funded coalition operating as a worker center with the open goal of unionizing restaurant employees in New York City chain restaurants in an attempt to shift more responsibility for workplace safety to the corporate level. A secondary goal of the campaign is a $15 minimum wage.

Meanwhile, Scott Allen, an OSHA spokesman, said the agency is investigating some McDonald's in several states. "We do investigate all complaints and take every complaint seriously," Allen said.